Book Review: Raising a Modern Day Knight (pic)

Well, 2012 is becoming the year of Fatherhood. Being a father of four, it is something that I always need to keep at the forefront of my mind. But with one of my sons at age 7 and another at age 12, I know that they are at some major crossroads and that I need to be at the top of my game to transition them to the the next level of life. This understanding has brought this newest book into my life: “Raising a Modern Day Knight” by Robert Lewis. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The concept of the book is to revisit the days of Knights and examine their natural transition from boyhood to knighthood. It is very interesting to see that there was a prescribed path for the boys to follow.

“At age 7 or 8 a boy would become a “page”. He was removed from his mother’s care and went to live in a castle, usually with an overlord or relative. Here, the page learned about armor and weapons and falconry, the rudiments of knighthood. He also performed household tasks for the ‘queen of the castle’.

At age 14, the page became a “squire”. He attached himself to a knight and traveled everywhere in his company, serving him in the most menial of tasks: He carried the knight’s lance, woke him in the morning, and even helped him dress. The squire also competed in tournaments and perfected the skills he had learned as a page. Such rigorous discipline prepared him for the final stage of his journey.

When he was 21, he was eligible for knighthood…” pp 16 & 17

Then the book unpacks some different ideas and ways that you can help your son transition from each stage. I came up with a lot of ideas and will be employing some concepts to my sons’ lives as we move forward in their life transitions. It is very practical and doesn’t delve into too many ‘ideological’ ideas.

The book is a very simple read. Weighing in at 163 pages, you will find yourself flying through this book. I did leave it wishing there were more. I wanted things spelled out a little more for me, but I didn’t get that. Instead, I have been forced to use my imagination and come up with some personal ideas to implement which is always a good thing to do too.

Stay tuned because I will be implementing some of the these ideas that I uncovered with my sons in the months to come and I will blog about how they unfolded at www.gphintz.com.

May we, as men, should live with the most important things at the forefront of our minds… “A will to obey (God’s)… A work to do… And a woman to love.”

GP

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Martin Luther King Jr: A Pastor Before a Public Hero (video)

Today is Monday, January 16th and the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. day. This is one of the “national” holidays that I really try to honor by educating my kids of the meaning behind it.

There are a few people that I would consider my personal heroes and Martin Luther King Jr. has always been at the top of my list. Gandhi, Mother Teresa, CS Lewis, Robert Kennedy, Tony Robbins and a few others help to make up a ridiculously diverse bunch of folks who all take the top of this list for different reasons, but MLK has always, and will always, rest at the top.

(Disclaimer: For those who need to know, Jesus is always at the top of my list. In fact, he is so high that he encompasses all lists and trumps every earthly person that could ever be included in my list of influential people. For some reason I thought this disclaimer would be necessary… so there you go )

I am sure it has to do with the reason that he stood for something that he believed in even when the odds were stacked against him. He spoke up when it could have cost him his life. He refused to be silenced by ‘public opinion’ or even personal threats on he and his family. And this courage is exactly what was needed in the midst of this turbulent time in American history.

We are a better country, and ultimately, a better world because of Martin Luther King Jr. However, I think a lot of people don’t realize that long before he was a public figure, he was a pastor. In fact, his father was a pastor and his grandfather was a pastor. He grew up with a deep conviction and love for Jesus and this stand for justice thrust him into the public limelight at just the right time to bring about a change.

It is important that we never forget this simple fact… Martin Luther King Jr. stood for what was right because he believed wholeheartedly that this is what God wanted him to do. His faith in Jesus gave him the courage to believe that change was possible.

Many of us remember King from his speeches in Washington, but his speaking career began long before this opportunity opened up. He was a pastor at Ebeneezer Baptist Church and spoke many eloquent messages that became a precursor for his later, more publicized ministry.

For example, here is the last 10 minutes of a message that he preached at Ebeneezer Baptist Church, a church he co-pastored with his father. This message was given after many of his well known messages, but in the confines of a place where he had opened God’s Word many times before and shared with the members there. This particular message was given on November 1967… only 5 months before his assassination.

You can hear his heart as he preaches with great power and authority.

The message that Dr. King gives near the end of his life carries an almost prophetic tone. You will hear his words around 4 minutes and 20 seconds into this recording:

“If you have never found something so dear and so precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to lead.”

Martin Luther King Jr. had found the thing that he was willing to give his life for. He had sought justice for a people who could never repay him for what he did. He followed his conviction that was birthed in the words of Jesus and allowed that to become more important than his comfort or safety.

Dr. King could have took a cushy job on some college campus making great money and living the life, but he said “no”. He could have simply wrote books about social justice and stayed in the confines of a secure home somewhere, but he said “no”. He could have simply stayed quiet and pastored a church that would have paid him a great salary and amazing benefits, but he said “no”. He chose to live for so much more.

What about you? Are you living for something worth dying for? If not, why? If not now, then when? Quit wasting your life away seeking after comfort and security and truly live for something greater than yourself. Until you do that, you are doing yourself… and this world… an incredible injustice!

Much Love,
GP

One Man… Every Instrument… With Only His Mouth! (Video)

Every now and then I see something pretty amazing out on the World Wide Web and I like to share these things with my many friends from around the world. Tonight… it is music. One man… Every instrument and lyric with ONLY his mouth. That’s it!

And not only do you get to enjoy the song… but he’ll show you how it got done at the end of this video. All in all, it is pretty amazing and inspiring. It’s wild what One Person can do!

It may not be music like this, but you were called to do something really amazing too! Don’t stop till you reach it! Keep shining!

Much Love,

GP

For a copy of GP’s book THE BEST: a life manifesto, click here
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What is the Church? (video)

CHURCH? What is it? Really… What does that word mean?

Is it a building? It is a place? Is it about steeples and songs and vision statements?

Or, is is about so much more?

The word ‘church’ in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word ‘ekklesia’ which comes from two words ‘ek’ meaning ‘out’ and ‘kaleo’ meaning to ‘call.’ An ekklesia or ‘calling out’ was not just an assembly. We are the church… His Body… living stones.

“What if we are not satisfied with GOING to church but strive to BECOME the church?”

What do you think?

GP

For a copy of GP’s book THE BEST: a life manifesto, click here
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Book Review: The Christian Atheist (pic)

I am in the middle of a teaching series at THE PLACE called “Practical Atheist” and this was probably one of the main reasons that this book by Craig Groeschel made it into my possession. As I opened it and started reading it I was hoping to learn a little more about atheism and a Christian’s response to it. Let me warn you now… you will NOT find that in this book.

I should have guessed from the tag line of the book which said, “Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist”. The book has nothing to say about atheism, but a lot to say about Christian skeptics or those who are going through the motions of Christianity today.

I think it is an excellent book for the church today and it is really an easy read. I found myself looking forward to reading the chapters which varied from worry to shame to money to your view on organized church. In each chapter I found great insight that would benefit people who were struggling in each area. It became a book not solely to minister to me, but one that I could take wisdom from and help other people.

The most surprising fact about the book, however, was the openness and honesty of Craig Groeschel. He shares about his own fears and mistakes and weaknesses in a candor that I don’t see in many “big church” pastors today. I felt like he was a real person and that made me want to read more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. Especially recommended to those who are new to Christianity or frustrated with religion. It will help answer a lot of questions that you may have.

GP

Book Review: Through My Eyes by: Tim Tebow

If you like football, Jesus or just a great book, you should definitely pick this one up. It is written by one of the most ‘oddly controversial’ figures of the NFL ~ Tim Tebow. The book is called “Through My Eyes” and will give you a picture of his life growing up, high school and college football years and his first year playing for the Denver Broncos.

Through the entire book you will see the heart of Tim Tebow shining through. He is passionate… very passionate. He loves Jesus and has been a Christian for many years. You will be able to see these two things, Tim’s passion and his love for Jesus, collide in the book. From his belief in purity and abstinence before marriage to his reason behind putting scriptures under his eyes for football games, you will come to know him better as you read each page.

But the heart of the book is really about football. If you are a fan of football, then you will absolutely LOVE the vivid descriptions of key plays over his career and the interactions that took place between he and his teammates both on and off the field. You will hear Tebow’s grace filled voice as he is always trying to build up those around him and not tear them down.

I am very glad I read this book and it may become a “go to” every football season!

GP

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Africa Bound… A dream come true! (Pics)

Well, for all my friends out there that have known me for a while, you are aware that one of my life long dreams has been to go to Africa. In fact, before I married my wife I told her that she would have to be willing to live in a grass hut in Africa. She lied and said “OK” and the rest is history.

Just Kidding about the lie… But I really did say that!

There has ALWAYS been a love for Africa and a desire to be part of what God is doing there. This passion was reignited recently when an African pastor friend of mine by the name of Justus Ayiengah came from Kenya to the states. We had him out to Wickenburg, AZ and he even spoke at THE PLACE. The entire church was fired up and we decided to do something really radical. We decided to do SOMETHING…

The main need they had was a building for their children to come learn about God. They had over 100 kids coming each week and they were teaching them in a field. When the rains came, the kids stayed home. THE PLACE decided to help fill this need and in one weekend we were able to collect nearly $5,000 that would go towards the construction of this children’s church.

Construction for Children's Church

THE PLACE is a church which was only 1 1/2 years old with less than 200 people in attendance. Truly a miraculous weekend! But that wasn’t enough…

They also had a home where they were caring for orphan children who had been abandoned by their family. There were over 20 children in their care at one specific site. (They were caring for over 60 altogether). As a church we decided to start a program called “Project Esther” and allowed the children in their “home” to be ‘adopted’ financially by church members. In one Sunday, we sponsored ALL of these kids and began living out the words of James 1:27…

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Kids from Project Esther

All of that leads me up to the announcement that I give you in this blog post. On September 16, 2012 I will be headed to Kenya, Africa to visit these children, oversee the progress on the children’s church and minister to many African nationals. There were many miracles that went into this reality, but the greatest miracle was the airline ticket which was purchased in its entirety for me. Someone wanted this to happen and believed in it so much, they sponsored the ticket from Phoenix, AZ to Nairobi, Kenya. I was speechless for three days as the reality sunk in.

In my life God has done many miracles. I couldn’t even begin to tell you all of them, because there is not enough time or space to cover them all. But this most recent one… a trip to Africa… is near the top of the miracle opportunities of a lifetime. I am so humbled over this opportunity and I am committed to pour everything I have out on this trip. My prayer is that this is the first of MANY trips to visit our friends in Kenya as we reach out with the love and grace of Jesus to the world.

Please continue to pray for me as this trip gets closer. I am sure that I will be sharing with you along this journey so stay tuned.

Much Love to all my friends around the globe. Keep shining that light!

GP

For a copy of my book THE BEST: a life manifesto, click here
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New Year’s Bible Verse ~ Philippians 4:12-13

Well, if you have known me for any length of time at all, you will know that I have a particular Bible verse that I hold on to white knuckled every day of my life. It is a verse that has helped me through many difficult days and continues to push me in the right direction. It is found in the book of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 29:11

This year, I am going to add on a new one that I really feel that the Lord is leading me to. It is found in the book of Philippians chapter 4.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13

I look back at my life and the one thing that I can attest to is the faithfulness of God. He is faithful, even when I’m not. He is there, even when I don’t want Him to be. He is filled with grace even when I feel like I don’t deserve it. This is the God I serve and I am humbled and so honored to be His child.

This year, I want my life to reflect the words of Paul in Philippians 4. I will enter 2011 with the attitude that I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me! If He brings me to it, He will bring me through it. I would encourage you to embrace this truth and make 2012 THE BEST year that you’ve ever lived.

Much Love,
GP

For a copy of my book THE BEST: a life manifesto, click here
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Book Review: Prayer that Brings Revival (pic)

I have had an overwhelming push in my spirit for prayer. I believe that 2012 is going to be an incredible year and one where I need to pray more than I ever have before. This unction led me to read a long time favorite of mine, “Prayer that Brings Revival: Interceding for God to Move in Your Family, Church and Community” by David Yonggi Cho.

I was once again captured by the real life examples of David Yonggi Cho’s life and the simplicity behind the keys that he gives for the cultivation of a healthy prayer life. An example of this that I found quite insightful:

“I usually wake up between 430a and 5a in the morning…Before I know it, my one hour (of prayer) is gone. After prayer, I am able to meet the challenges and opportunities that the day will present. Pastoring a church of over 750,000 members and having an extensive international ministry, I am not able to do all that I have been called to do without spending the minimum of one hour in prayer every morning.”

I link the words of Cho with the well known words of Martin Luther who said:

“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”

The book encouraged and filled my heart with a greater desire to commit prayer into my daily life. Prayer shouldn’t be an afterthought, but a forethought and my goal is to pray more in 2012 than I’ve ever prayed in my life! I am happy to have finished reading this book on the final day of 2011 and can’t wait to bring in the New Year with prayer as the #1 priority.

I challenge you to do the same

GP

For a copy of my book THE BEST: a life manifesto, click here
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Book Review: You Might Be A Narcissist If… (pic)

I kept hearing the word ‘narcissist’ thrown around in different contexts and wanted to know what this word actually meant. I was sure it meant being ‘full of yourself’ or being ‘prideful’, but I thought that it may have had a deeper meaning. The book “You Might Be a Narcissist If” allowed me to gain a greater insight and confirmed my belief that it meant more than spending too much time in front of the mirror.

The book is written by three authors which can be a little confusing at times. However, when I viewed their varied perspectives and insightful examples, it was well worth it. They do a great job of explaining this term to a layman and helping you to identify the characteristics in yourself, loved ones or people you may know. There were so many great truths uncovered in this book… But let me give you a couple of my favorites:

- We all have some narcissistic tendencies. I have heard therapists throw this term around as an insult, but in doing this they are displaying some narcissistic tendencies of their own. We are all a bit narcissistic. Understanding this and becoming aware of these areas is the key to a healthy mental and emotional life.

- The core fear of a narcissist is ‘intimacy’. I thought that was so enlightening. ‘Intimacy’ is the fear and can be rooted in someone’s life from experiences as varying as pain or upbringing, but is the basic fear that needs to be addressed to overcome. If you want to overcome narcissism, you are going to have to learn how to embrace intimacy.

- Honesty is the key. I don’t know if this simple fact was uncovered overtly in the book, but it is what I walked away with. It’s true about narcissism and every area of your life that you are struggling with. If you want to get better or healthier, you need to begin to be honest. “It is what it is”. Take your life where you are right now and start applying the principles from this book and other things that you are learning and watch your life transform before your eyes.

Well, there it is in a nutshell. On a GP 5 star scale, I’d give it a 4 1/2. It is a book that I believe I will return to.

To get your copy, click here or check it out on your Kindle here.

GP